‘Enola Holmes’ Star Millie Bobby Brown Reveals Why She Left Social Media in 2021, and the Unexpected Move She Made for Her Mental Health

Millie Bobby Brown recently spoke about her life growing up in the spotlight and how it shaped the way she connects with people today. The conversation came during an episode of the podcast “Happy Sad Confused,” hosted by Josh Horowitz. The interview was later reported by journalist Stephanie Soteriou.

Millie became famous very young after playing Eleven in the Netflix series Stranger Things. She was just 11 years old when the show started, and she spent most of her childhood and teenage years working on set. Because of that, she says a lot of her early life looked very different from other kids her age.

In the podcast, she talked openly about how growing up on film sets affected her social life. She explained that she did not attend a normal public school and mostly spent time around adults while working. That changed the way she learned how to talk and interact with people her own age.

She said, “Well, I didn’t go to public school, so maybe a bit of socialization.”

She also explained that most of her day-to-day conversations during her childhood were with crew members on set, who were usually much older. Because of that, she feels more comfortable talking about work-related topics than casual everyday conversations.

She shared, “Because I grew up with primarily men on crews — men over 40 years old. So I heard a lot of adult talk growing up, and didn’t really talk about the things you’re meant to talk about as a kid.”

Millie described moments where meeting fans or people her age can feel a bit awkward for her. She said she sometimes does not know how to react in social situations, not because she does not care, but because she simply did not grow up practicing those kinds of interactions often.

She said, “Sometimes, when fans come up to me, I’ll be like: ‘Argh!’ And it’s not because I’ve… It’s just I don’t know how to react sometimes to people my own age. I have a harder time.”

Even with that, she said she is happy with her life now. She spoke about feeling good at 22 and enjoying her current routine. She also mentioned that her partner, Jake Bongiovi, helped her become more open and social in everyday life.

She added, “When I met my husband, he’s the most social butterfly… When I met him, I really tried to lean in more to that. So I’m in my social era!”

The discussion also touched on her relationship with social media. Millie said she stepped away from it in 2021 and has no plans to return to managing it herself. She explained that it was a choice made for her mental well-being.

She said, “I deleted social media in 2021 and I never looked back. There was no need for it anymore. So I hired someone, for my mental health, to take care of it for me.”

She clarified that she still wants to stay connected with her fans, but without exposing herself to constant online opinions or negativity. For her, it is about balance and protecting her peace while still being present in her own way.

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